VCI Entertainment and Republic Pictures present the first of a double feature..."Marshal of Laredo" (1945) (digitally remastered in Dolby), long running Red Ryder series turned out in the early '40s...the storyline is excellent with outstanding as usual productions with hours worth of entertainment....well it's not over yet so stay in the saddle and see the final chapter of this exciting story...Red Ryder must find out the truth about a bank robbery that may involve Denver Jack...a crooked lawyer who works for Denver Jack wants to go straight, but Denver has other plans...Randall the lawyer is set up on a murder charge after he tells Denver he wants out so he can marry Judy Bowers....knowing he may by innocent will Red Ryder and Little Beaver be able to uncover evidence to prove his innocence...can Ryder and Denver settles this with fisticuffs or will it be six shooters...don't one thrilling adventure after another.
Under director R. G. Springsteen with screenplay by Fred Harman and Robert Creighton Williams...the cast include Wild Bill Elliott (Red Ryder), Robert Blake (Little Beaver), Alice Fleming (The Duchess), Peggy Stewart (Judy Bowers), Jack McClendon (Larry Randall), Roy Barcroft (Denver Jack), Don Costello (Pretty Boy Murphy), Tom London (Barton), George Chesebro (Chief Deputy), Bud Geary (Ferguson)...another thrilling Red Ryder B-Western provided by Republic Pictures during their heyday of the early '40s.
The second feature on the double bill from VCI Entertainment and Republic Pictures is "Tucson Raiders" (1944) (digitally remastered)...Wild Bill Elliott as Red Ryder finds himself framed for murder...will Little Beaver come to the aid of his favorite hero and stop the crooked Sheriff's from killing Red in an attempted jail break..can we trust Hannah Rogers as Red notices a signal she gives the Sheriff as the note is passed...good ole Gabby gets the note but will Red be able to decodes it...we need a confession that The Duchess must get from Hannah to help Red find the outlaws...all this and much more follows the adventures of the "Tucson Raiders" with Red Ryder trailing after.
Under director Spencer Gordon Bennet with screenplay by Anthony Coldway and Fred Harman...the cast include Wild Bill Elliott (Red Ryder), George "Gabby" Hayes (Gabby), Bobby Blake (Little Beaver), Alice Fleming (The Duchess), Peggy Stewart (Beth Rogers), Ruth Lee (Hannah Rogers), LeRoy Mason (Jeff Stark), Stanley Andrews (Governor York), John Whitney (Tom Hamilton), Bud Geary (Deputy One Eye), Karl Hackett (Rev. George Allen), Tom Steele (Deputy), Marshall Reed (Deputy), Tom Chatterton (Judge James Wayne), Ed Cassidy (Sheriff Kirk )...William Elliott had a long and prosperous career as a B-Western star well into the 1950s.
RED RYDER SERIES:
1. Marshal of Reno (1944)
2. The San Antonio Kid (1944)
3. Vigilantes of Dodge City (1944)
4. Sheriff of Las Vegas (1944)
5. Great Stagecoach Robbery (1945)
6. The Lone Texas Ranger (1945)
7. Marshal of Laredo (1945)
8. Sheriff of Redwood Valley (1946)
9. Sun Valley Cyclone (1946)
10.Stagecoach to Denver (1946)
11.Vigilantes of Boomtown (1947)
12.Homesteaders of Paradise Valley (1947)
13.Rustlers of Devil's Canyon (1947)
14.Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947)
15.Ride, Ryder, Ride! (1949)
16.Roll, Thunder, Roll! (1949)
17.The Fighting Redhead (1949)
18.Cowboy and the Prizefighter (1949)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Photo Gallery (Red Ryder Lobby Cards - Dell Comic Book Covers)
2. B-Western Promo:
"Bad Man from Red Butte" (Johnny Mack Brown)
"Satan's Cradle" & "The Darling Caballero" (Duncan Renaldo (Cisco Kid) & Leo Carrillo (Pancho)
"Under California Stars" & "Bells of San Angelo" (Roy Rogers & Trigger)
3..Allan "Rocky" Lane Promo:
"Rustlers of Devil's Canyon" & "Sante Fe Uprising" (Allan "Rocky" Lane as Red Ryder)
4. Adventures of Red Ryder Serial: (Chapters 7 & 8) (Don "Red" Barry as Red Ryder)
5. Bios & Filmography:
Wild Bill Elliott
Bobby Blake (aka Robert Blake)
If you enjoyed "Volume 9" why not pick up of "Red Ryder Double Features Volume 10" featuring "Marshal of Reno" (1944) and "Sheriff of Red Wood Valley" (1946)...also the latest Bobby J. Copeland's book on "Bill Elliott:The Peaceable Man" is chuck full of answers to all the questions his fans had from early on...plenty of thrills, adventure and loaded with action. My personal favorites were the "Red Ryder Series" or "The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" an ongoing character that would appear in many films to come...as Hickok and Wild Bill Saunders. Elliott was a natural for the western, his riding abilities and fight scenes were the caliber of Buck Jones, Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Steele...good reading for all you wranglers out there...I found myself being transported back in time, Mr. Copeland's book has opened my eyes to what a wonderful unselfish person Bill Elliott was...only wish I could have met him. He was one of a kind...a peaceable man!...published by Empire Publising and available on Amazon and Empire Publications Inc.
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch B-Western from VCI---Western Classics, all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 112 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8410 ~ (8/30/2005)
